Perfect Dark was the ultimate console FPS in it's day... and it's still better than many.
Everyone remembers Goldeneye... the game that made console FPS good. It had a wonderful single-player game, coupled with an addicting multiplayer deathmatch.
What makes Perfect Dark BETTER than this landmark N64 title?
It certainly wasn't the single-player mode. Though it was indeed fun, it really wasn't a huge step up in Goldeneye. Indeed, instead of using the nifty James Bond backdrop for the action, Perfect Dark created it's own cheesy sci-fi world. The gameplay was still solid, but the characters and voiceovers were completely forgettable and the story was laughable.
It was multiplayer. Even to this day, there are few multiplayer games that offer such a wealth of options. Customizable characters, statistics tracking, TONS of guns, a bunch of maps and plenty of modes. There were simulants (bots) with selectable personalities and skill levels. Bored of deathmatch? There was also a challege mode to test your mettle. The Combat Simulator added tremendous beef to an already splendid FPS package. Up to four players AND eight bots simultaneously.
It all worked so well. My friends and I can measure the time we spent playing this game in WEEKS. For it's time, there was no multiplayer action title that could even compare. I still don't know how they fit it all on the cartridge. The game does freeze occasionally, especially when a 4-player match ends with a combat boost on. Combat Boost! ...and you thought Max Payne invented bullet-time.
The Verdict:
Perfect Dark was one of the best action games of it's time... and it still holds up today. It really pushed the poor little N64 to the max, and it squeezed as much fun as could be had onto that little cartridge. This is the essential piece to anyone's N64 collection.
+Addicting multiplayer
+Tons of guns and character models
+A wealth of stages and modes
+Bots that are actually fun to play against
+The story mode, though silly, can be fun sometimes
+Amazing N64 graphics
+Rediculously cheesy soundtrack
+N-bombs and Combat Boosts piss the hell out of everyone
-The story mode, though sometimes fun, is silly
-Freezes occasionally when things get too crazy